Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac Sodium in Aqueous Solution Using N, S, and C-doped ZnO

In this investigation photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium as drug pollutants was studied. N, S, and C-doped ZnO (N,S,C-ZnO) particles were supported from thiourea and zincsulfate via a precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The degradation was studied under different conditions such as the catalyst concentration, concentration of drug, initial pH value and presence of electronacceptor. The results showed that photocatalytic degradation of drug was strongly influenced by these parameters. The best conditions for the photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium were obtained. The optimum concentrations of N,S,C-ZnO was found to be 0.44g/L. Thephotodegradation efficiency of diclofenac sodium decreased with an increase in the initial concentration of diclofenac sodium. In acidic solutions, photocatalytic degradation efficiency was higher than in alkaline solutions.The photodegradation efficiency of diclofenac sodium was accelerated by addition of a small amount of K2S2O8 andH2O2.

Keywords:

N , S , C-ZnO , Photocatalytic Degradation , Precipitation method , Drug , Diclofenac Sodium